Frog feeder



June 5, 1951 1 R. EDWARDS FROG FEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April l0, 1950 s m R. W, W m C M m n. m u M. l s wn n.. @w Y B .LIM wm m mww en w wm vv vw )HW xfll IIHMIINIIIIII f m S. i il w{1 1, 1 4, mw Qm. NW n S .1S 4 Y wv Q mv .Nm w w imm Y l w1 m mw QM V .om

June 5, 1951 L, R, EDWARDS 2,555,437

FROG FEEDER Filed April 10, 1950 2 SheetsSheet 2 Fig. 5

Les/ie Edwards IN VEN TOR.

Patented `une UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FROG FEEDER Leslie R. Edwards, Gurdon, rk.

Application April 10, 1950, Serial No. 155,113

Claims.

This invention relates to new and. useful improvements in feeding devices and more particularly to a device for feeding frogs.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulically fed dispenser together with a rotating and reciprocating roller whereby feed passing from the dispenser and discharged upon the roller will be agitated and vibrated to attract frogs thereto and thereby permit the feeding of frogs with highly viscous feed and without the necessity of having to raise worms and the like for such feeding purposes.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a frog feeder including a rotating and reciprocating roller with means for dispensing feed onto the roller so that the feed will lie upon the roller in a spiral path to simulate worms which are attractive to frogs.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a frog feeder that is continuous in' operation and which requires very little service and cleaning.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a frog feeder that is simple and practical in construction, highly efficient and reliable in operation, small and compact in structure, inexpensive to manufacture, service and maintain, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in Which: y

Figure 1 is a plan View of the present invention with the casing removed therefrom; l

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevational View of Figure 1; and,

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, thereis` disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral, I@ represents anrelongated horizontally disposed conduit or cylindrical dispenser, closed at both ends, and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced horizontally and laterally projecting dispensing nipples or jets I2.

A cylindrical jacket I4' encasesf the conduit I0 and both ends of the jacket I4 are closed. A supply pipe I5 extending from a suitable source of cooling medium enters the jacket and arreturn pipe I8 leads from the jacket and back to the source of cooling medium to provideaclosedfluid system for` circulating acooling medium about the conduit It and thereby prevent thefeed in the conduit lli from becoming warm and distasteful to frogs. The jacket I4 is provided with open.- ings 2@ through which the nipples I2 project. The nipples are suitably ,sealed in the openings t to prevent liquid fromieaking from the jacket by way of the openingsmZll.y

The conduit lil and jacket I4 overlie a base 22 from which there rises a pair of b earirigsgl'` and it that rotatably and slidablyreceive the reduced, end portions 28 and 30 `of, a rotating iand reciprocating roller 32 that underlies the nipples I2. l

A motor 3&5 is mountedV onthe base, 2 2 and inf cludes a drive shaft that is connected through reduction gearing in a lhousing 36 to aA drivenshaft 38.. The end pcrtion t@ `is hollow and internally splined to receive the `externally splined endof the shaft as so that the roller 32 will rota-te with theshaft `38- l,

A cam (lo is held on the end portionIL by any suitable means, for rotation ,withwtheioller'i andra finger [i2 mounted on the housing Srid'es against the cam ilo to impart longitudinal moyement tothe roller t2 as the motor 3i indirectly rotates theroller. l Y

A coil springil surrounds the end portion 28 and is biased betvveenkthe bearing 24, and one end of the roller s2 to yiidingiy' urge th cam El against thenger 42. H

`A supply tube lo enters the conduit l Ill intermediate the emisor the conduit |10 yand includes a T-joint [is having a branch armA 5E] that is coupled to anI outlet `pipe 52. The pipe i2` isf connected to thelovver `end of a hopper 54 `and th joint all tis operatively connected toa hydraulic pump- El, of any suitable type, that is driven a motor 5E. l n

:The lower portion of the roller 32" is receivedfin the upperopen portion of a bok-like and `hollow support Schar/ing arms mountedthereon' that support the jacketmld `andthe conduit Ill` a substantially horizontal position. @troughs is sluitablyrmounted in thesupport Gli and underlies the roller 32. ,A ,conveyor screwiis journaled for rotation in the trough Srl and is operatively connected tothe motor 58 as; ,shownA in Figure 1. A casing t8 extends from the .end of the trough @il where `feed is `conducted by screwrl andto the hopper 515. A suitable elevatingA means 'IU or endless belt supportingbucket is mounted in the casing E3 to conduct feed from the trough 64 back to the hopper 54.

A vertically disposed scraper blade I2 includes end `anges 14 that are vertically slotted to receive fasteners 'I6 entering the end walls of the support I for adjusting the blade 'I2 vertically to accommodate rollers of various sizesthat may replace the roller 32.

A covering I8 is provided for the power means, pump means and includes a forward vertical wall Bil that terminates slightly above the roller 32. The wall Sli is formed with openings 82 for the outer ends of the nipple I2, so that only the roller, or a portion of the roller and the nipples will be exposed to frogs.

The base 22 is preferably embedded ,in the ground with a ramp or platform 8d carried by the support resting upon the ground so that frogs may travel upon the platform to eat feed on the roller 32. Y j

In practical use of the present invention, the pump 56 will suck feed F from the hopper 54 and force the feed into the conduit IE), through the nipples i2 and onto the roller 32. As the roller 32 is rotating and reciprocating, the feed F will assume a spiral path or undulated path,

on the roller and the feed will be agitated and vibrated by the movement of the roller to attract frogs thereto since the frogs will not eat the feed unless it isrmoving.

Any feed adhering to the roller 32 will be scraped therefrom by the blade 'I2 and the feed thus scraped from the roller will pass into the trough 54. The feed entering the trough 64 will be conducted to the elevating means i by the screw 66 Where the elevating means 'I0 conveys the feed to the hopper 54 to be again forced Y into the system by the pump 56.

In order to clean the conduit I0 and the nipples l2, suitable closure caps are placed on the lnipples I2 and a hose is attached to an inlet neck N depending from the pipe 46. ing uid is forced through the hose and into the conduit IU. Selected or all closure caps are removed to permit the cleaning fluid to pass fnom the nipples.

Since in warm weather the feed, Vbeing mixed with a quantity of water, will become rather warm, the cooling means I4, I6 and i8 will tend to retain the feed relatively cool so that the frogs will enjoy the feed dispensed on the roller 32.

The pump is preferably of the intermittent type so that feed will be discharged from the nozzles I2 in phases whereby only a small amount of feed will be applied to the roller at one time.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to Vbe understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the Vspirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: Y

1. A frog feeder comprising a dispenser having a delivery nipple, arotating and reciprocating roller underlying said nipple, a trough 'underly- Water or a clean- 4 ing said roller, and means for forcing feed through the dispenser and the delivery nipple and onto the roller.

2. A frog feeder comprising an elongated horizontally disposed conduit having a plurality Vof radially disposed horizontally extending delivery nipples spaced longitudinally upon the conduit,

a rotating and reciprocating 'roller paralleling.

' scraped from the roller will enter the trough.

3. A frog feeder comprising a dispenser having a delivery nipple, a rotating and reciprocating roller underlying said nipple, a trough underlying said roller, means for forcing feed through the dispenser and the delivery nipple and onto the roller, and means associated with the dispenser for retaining feed in the dispenser relatively cool. Y

4. The combinationof claim 3 wherein said last named means includes a jacket enclosing said dispenser, said jacket having an opening through which said nipple projects, and a cooling medium within said jacket and about said dispenser.

5. A frog feeder comprising an elongated dispensing conduit having a plurality of longitudinally spaced nipples extending therefrom, a roller underlying said nipples, means for rotating said roller, means for imparting reciprocable motion to said roller during the rotation thereof whereby feed leaving said nipples will be disposed spirally upon the roller, anda platform leading to said roller.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said means for rotating said roller includes a driven shaft, said reciprocating means including a cam on said shaft, and a nger riding against said cam.

'7. A frog feeder comprising an elongated delivery conduit having a plurality of horizontally disposed outlet nipples, a horizontally disposed roller underlying said nipples, means for rotating the roller, means for reciprocating said roller in response to rotation of said roller, means for forcing feed through said conduit and said nipples and onto said roller, a trough underlying saidY roller, means shielding said trough and including a ramp leading to said roller, means overlying said trough and underlying the roller for scraping feed from the roller whereby the feed will enter the trough, a hopper in coni'- munication with said forcing means, and means for conducting feed from said trough to said hopper. Y

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said means for reciprocating said roller includes a cam rotatable with the roller, and a stationary linger riding against said cam.

9. The combination of claim 7 and means encasing said conduit for retaining feed in the conduit relatively cool.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said cooling means includes a cooling medium surrounding the conduit, and a jacket enclosing the conduit and holding the cooling medium.

LESLIE R. EDWARDS.

No references cited. 

